Egypt's April 6 youth movement on Monday slammed the continued detention for an additional 15 days pending investigation of four of its members arrested on Friday while demonstrating outside the interior minister's Cairo residence.
In a statement, April 6 founding member Ahmed Maher described the ongoing detention of the group members as a "declaration of war" by the administration of President Mohamed Morsi.
He went on to assert that accusing April 6 members of "insulting" the interior minister was "illogical," since they had not used weapons nor attempted to incite violence.
"The interior ministry has not changed since the revolution, but has become worse…it has become obvious that there is a plan to exact revenge on the April 6 movement," Maher said.
"The pro-Morsi prosecution and his Muslim Brotherhood organisation have been launching a fierce campaign against the movement – in the streets, on the internet and via media venues – with the aim of tarnishing the movement's image," he added.
"From now on, the Morsi regime will be dealt with as a continuation of Mubarak's, one that needs to be toppled," Maher concluded.
Hundreds of April 6 members on Friday staged demonstrations outside the personal residence of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim to demand the release of 53 activists arrested in Tahrir Square the previous week.
At least four protesters were arrested at Friday's protest for calling the interior minister "a prostitute" while holding aloft women's underwear.
